The deeper sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Ormella is an indie folk artist who truly understands this sentiment. She’s a cheery person, but her music is a dark, deep ocean of bitter feeling.

With fewer cooks in the kitchen, Grammy Award-nominee NJOMZA is experimenting with her signature pop recipes.

The new Little Monarch album, Plenty of Time, blends lush extended harmonic textures with intricate, driving, groovy beats. It almost acts as a sonic metaphor for her entire ethos.

Chance Peña is a firm believer in taking risks and not being afraid to give something your all. His first name is especially fitting in this regard.

Rising pop star Jane Beeson is about to drop a new record. Its lead singles discuss personal loss, religion, self acceptance, and young adulthood. Thematically, they seem to indicate that plucking from the Tree of Life is a personal endeavor.

I once video-chatted with PawPaw Rod, an artist known for blending 60s and 70s soul with hip hop and house. When I asked about his weekend, he called it unbelievable, incredible, and one of the best experiences of his life.

It’s always awesome to hear dope music and then find out the music came from an even doper person. When I first heard “Dirty Blonde” by GUNNAR, it knocked my socks off.

Check out these 5 tracks from under-the-radar artists with under 50,000 monthly listeners—they’re poised for major success.